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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · hide · safe · squash · date · deal · straw · press

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. deal — to handle
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wound — an injury
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. date — the fruit
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — the sport
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com